The LinkedIn algorithm interprets direct messaging as a strong signal of connection. By engaging with a prospect in their DMs, you increase the probability that your organic posts will be prioritized and shown in their feed, creating a powerful content and outreach loop.

Simply posting content and leaving—or 'posting and ghosting'—is ineffective. LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes posts that generate conversation. Engaging with comments, especially within the first couple of hours, is critical for signaling value and maximizing your content's reach.

Social media algorithms value time spent more than passive engagement like "likes." To increase your visibility with target prospects, engage in back-and-forth conversations in their direct messages. This signals to the algorithm that your relationship is important, making it more likely your content will appear in their feed.

The easiest way to increase your visibility is to consistently comment on other people's content. To make this effective, be strategic: comment on posts by industry leaders where your target audience will see your name, photo, and headline in a relevant context.

For new creators, follower count is less relevant. The algorithm now benchmarks your content's performance within a "designated cohort" of similar users and topics. This means a creator with 50 followers can achieve the reach of one with 50,000 if they effectively engage their specific niche audience.

LinkedIn's algorithm has shifted. It no longer penalizes content you ignore (a negative signal). Instead, it exclusively uses positive signals—what you actively engage with—to determine your feed, making intentional engagement more critical than ever for shaping your content visibility.

LinkedIn actively suppresses the reach of users who accumulate large, unengaged audiences via mass connection requests. The platform algorithmically favors smaller, highly engaged networks over large, passive ones, making audience quality more important than sheer quantity for content visibility.

LinkedIn shows impressions on comments, allowing marketers to prove ROI. A strategic commenting plan can now be a core part of a content strategy, sometimes yielding more reach than original posts. This shifts focus from just publishing to engaging with others.

Unlike Facebook's algorithm, which thrives on broad audiences, LinkedIn's requires precision. Success comes from using small, hyper-targeted audiences, often built from custom-uploaded company lists, to ensure every dollar reaches the exact target profile.